Resumen de Language shift from Forro to Portuguese: language ideologies and the symbolic power of Portuguese on São Tomé Island
This article investigates causes of the language shift from Forro to Portuguese around the capital of São Tomé and Príncipe from a language ideology and political economy perspective. It examines the ideological and indexical processes supporting the differentiating social categories and how they are linked to language choice. It shows that accessing ideologies held by Forros is key to understanding how they have historically set themselves apart from the other racial groups on the island by choosing Portuguese as their first language. This research is based on observations in the public and private spheres in São Tomé City and on interviews conducted with 56 Santomean informants. Results indicate that the use and transmission of characterizations and evaluative comments enable Santomeans to convey ideologies of superiority of the Portuguese language and its speakers, and that these ideologies are important forces driving the ongoing language shift.
